5 Things You Didn't Know About Pit Bulls

Pit Bulls Get A Bad Rap - Here's Why It's Time To Change Our Minds About Them

2. A Pit Bull's Attack Mechanism Is Instinctive

While the three fore-cited factors will determine the behavior that a dog exhibits, every dog also has its instincts. And one of the pit bull's instinctive tendencies is to attack other animals, and in rare but extremely magnified cases, humans. Why do pit bulls attack, and does this instinct really make them more aggressive than other dogs?

For centuries, the American Pit Bull Terrier (the breed that the term "pit bull" generally, but not exclusively, refers to) was bred to fight other dogs in mortal combat. To ignore this fact would be to deny the truth. Because of this history, it is only natural that modern-day pit bulls display more aggression than some other breeds. We see similar bred instincts in plenty of other dogs, such as in the Greyhound's tendency to run fast and the Sheltie's instinct to herd. The pit bull owner must acknowledge his pet's heritage and be prepared to handle situations where his dog's instincts are aroused.

The first step toward properly handling a pit bull is to recognize its willingness to fight. One must be willing to invest the time and energy to avoid the nasty situations that may arise as a result. A pit bull can be trained to know when it is and when it is not appropriate to display its innate aggression.

3. You Can Reduce A Pit Bull's Aggression

To think that training can eliminate a pit bull's aggressive nature entirely would be foolhardy. But there are ways to make a pit bull more docile without inflicting harm on it. The most common way is to neuter your dog. Not only does this help to control the pet population (thanks, Bob Barker) but it also eliminates the significant hormonal changes that both young males and females in heat undergo.

These changes greatly influence behavior. For example, a male pit bull can smell a female in heat from miles away, but if he's trapped in a house, he will not be able to get to her. His inability to mate can lead to frustration and aggression. Neutering the animal will preempt this cyclical behavior, although it won't totally remove a pit bull's aggressive tendencies.

Another way to tame a pit bull is to put it through obedience training. Since these dogs are extremely social animals, they tend to get overwhelmed by their human company and can become quite a handful, exhibiting extreme happiness and energy. Obedience training can teach the pit bull basic domestic behavior and stamp on the dog's brain a guideline on how to behave with humans.

Finally, a pit bull can be controlled through responsible ownership. This is by and large the best way to ensure that your pit bull does not contribute to the belief that the breed is a hyper-violent one. Constant supervision is required so as to develop a relationship with the dog; this helps the owner recognize the cues that his pet is getting angry or aggressive.

More destructive solutions, such as shaving down a pit bull's teeth, should not be considered, as they are abusive and harmful to the dog. They will most likely have the reverse effect and result in a newfound fierceness in the animal.

4. Statistics Support Both Sides Of The Debate

A study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that dog attacks over a 15-year span in the United States resulted in 279 human deaths, or a little more than 17 a year. With an estimated dog population of 59 million, this annual fatality rate means that only an infinitesimal percentage of dogs are involved in such violent activity.

Still, in a continuation of its study, the CDC found that between 1979 and 1996, pit bulls accounted for 60 dog bite-related fatalities. This count more than doubled the rate of the next-most-frequent breed, the rottweiler. Though this fact lends itself to the belief that pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs, one must also remember that between 1965 and 2001, a total of 36 different breeds were involved in fatal attacks on humans in the United States.

A 1994 study investigating the reasons and commonalities among the 585,000 average annual dog bite incidents revealed that Chow Chows and German Shepherds, not pit bulls, were frequent biters. Though this stat does not absolve pit bulls from the criticism they receive, it shows that their breed is not the only one with an aggressive streak. The essence of this often-conflicting information is that pit bulls are not the only breed of dog that shows a tendency to attack. In fact, there are over a dozen breeds that frequently show up in analyses as having attacked humans.

These numbers are often distorted by the media, which sensationalizes the pit bull's tendency to be aggressive. As a result, people generally fear that this dog will attack humans. A study conducted by the American Temperament Test Society simply rejects this notion. In December of 2003, a temperament test was given to dog breeds around the country, and a score was given based on the proportion of the animals that passed over the animals that failed. The final results gave the American Pit Bull Terrier a passing rate of 83.9%, which was slightly better than that of the "docile" Golden Retriever — 83.2%.

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